Questions for Ellierat

[AndreaMoon]

Here are my random questions...
1.) Just out of curiousity, is Ginger's last litter number any indication of how many she will have this time? If it's anywhere near 13 again I'm going to have my hands full.

2.) Other than watching for labor signs (vomitting, crying), is there any other way I can tell if she's getting ready to have them?

3.) Other than towels and scissors, can you think of what I will need during labor?

4.) How crucial is it that they eat soon after birth? I mean, if she doesn't feed them like before, how soon do I need to get them to the HS to be fed?

Okay, that's all for now. I'm going to talk to Mom about moving her into the garage or something. After that I may have more questions. Thank you.

[erdog3]

Questions:1. Yes a big indication, maybe more, depends on the sire.
2. Off her food, burying food, frantically digging holes, drop in temperature, diarrhoea, slightly colored discharge from vulva, maybe yellow to green. Last 3 things means birth is imminent. within 24-48 hours. Let me do some back checking on dates, in the forum from last time. I can give you a rough estimate.
3. I will give you more detail separately for this. I am working on a full cycle of heat through pregnancy to birthing with dax to put on the fourm. Will actually type that as a list and post it in a sticky, save double typing.
4. They need to suckle almost immediately, actually that is the best time to get her to take them. suckling produces oxytocin in the b...., making the womb contract to deliver the next pup. Keep them with her and on her during labour.

[erdog3]

Checked the dates, works out almost impossible for her to be pregnant now. Are you sure she is not just comming into heat. Check her vulva, I will post a pic here now of Ellie in heat, she has just come in and it is a photo for this thing I was talking about.

What is she doing at the moment? You say there is another dog with her, is she mounting that dog? Check her vulva, see if there is any blood, or blood like color.
First Pic, vulva in heat, second pic normal vulva.

[AndreaMoon]

What dates are you going by? She was in heat going on two months ago. Mom was just letting dogs get at her for days. She finally put her in the garage when her heat was almost over.She's been in heat twice since the puppies were born I think. She's def pregnant. She's full of milk, her belly is huge.

[erdog3]

I was going by the last litter. Ok, well sounds like pregnant to me and you obviously.
I worked it out she had the pups in July, So she would be in heat now. She must have come in early.
So did you check on any of the other signs yet, let me know.
Now I really have to get my butt into gear and do that thread on whelping hey!!

[erdog3]

Just for you for starters here, do you have a kiddies pool or anything?
You will need newspapers, water with bleach in it, scissors, antiseptic, small box with a hot water bottle and towel in it. clock, pen and paper.

For Ginger....milk, hot water and sugar or glucose syrup.
For Yourself...a comfy chair, something to read or tv, refreshments. It can go for 12-24-36 hours.

Milk can come into the teats in the last week of pregnancy, so you don't have long to go.

[AndreaMoon]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I Just Lost The Longest Post I Have Ever Wrote!!!

[erdog3]

**tears, tears** What a pain, I just hate that, I have also done posts, thought I submitted them and gone on my merry way only to go back and find it not there. grrrrr.
Hang in there Andrea, I am on and off, what I don't see now I will see in a short while.

[AndreaMoon]

Okay, I'm going to try this again since I'm not so frustrated now.

Mom refuses to put Ginger anywhere else. She said she is going to put a tarp up for her but I don't think it will be warm enough. The temps aren't too bad this week though. I don't have a kiddie pool but will try to think of something along those lines. I've been getting the other things together.

[erdog3]

If you dont have a pool, anything will do, the idea is to keep the pups and her together, otherwise the pups can crawl and get lost. It helps with her feeding them.
If you mum wont let her have them in the shed, at least ask her if she will do it for YOU, for heavens sake, you don't want to be cold while she is having them.